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September 18, 2012

Oklahoma County Addresses E911 Concerns

By Rich Steeves, TMCnet Managing Editor

It’s impossible to say how many lives emergency numbers such as 911 have saved around the world. These digits have become ingrained in the minds of most Americans and we almost take them for granted. But as technology progresses so, too, do emergency response numbers. Many cities and counties these days are looking to install Enhanced 911 (E911) capabilities, requiring many businesses to seek out E911 Hosted Solutions.

One such county, Creek County in Oklahoma, recently held a special session so that the county commissioners could discuss E911 concerns in the area. The goal was to adjust the 911 mapping and address dispatching issues.

The advantages of E911 services include pinpoint accuracy. With enhanced 911 functionality, public safety answering centers can pinpoint the exact location of a landline call or the location of a cell phone call within a few meters. E911 hosted solutions are often necessary when businesses or hotels are using voice over Internet Protocol technology, which can make it difficult for emergency responders to find the necessary location quickly and easily.

The people of Creek County have several E911-related concerns. There are areas of the county where calls are routed to other regions, like Pawnee, Okla. or Cleveland, Okla., and the county wants to make sure that its residents receive the fastest and closest emergency services. Creek County is observing E911 deployments in neighboring areas to get an idea of what the benefits are and what potential pitfalls they need to avoid. It is working alongside contractors to avoid glitches wherever possible to make the public safety a top priority.

Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Then be sure to attend ITEXPO West 2012, taking place Oct. 2-5, in Austin, TX. Stay in touch with everything happening at ITEXPO (News - Alert). Follow us on Twitter.